Invest In CUNY – Announcements, Initiatives

CUNY Offers New Charitable Gift Annuities
CUNY’s university-wide Charitable Gift Annuity program has received a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service which will allow the University to offer charitable gift annuities to our donors. The program will be maintained and operated by the Research Foundation of CUNY for the benefit of our colleges and programs. The IRS ruling confirms and approves the process by which these gifts, solicited by and intended for the college foundations, can be held, administered and managed by the Research Foundation of CUNY.

Now donors can Invest in CUNY and accomplish their philanthropic goals while generating life income for themselves. Donors will have guaranteed income for life at favorable rates while receiving a portion of each year’s annuity payment tax-free.

In coming weeks, the college foundation boards, presidents and advancement teams will receive briefings on the “roll out” of the new program.

CUNY’s Annual Fund Task Force
In response to Chancellor Matthew Goldstein’s charge to devise strategies to strengthen development operations throughout the University, the Invest In CUNY Campaign Office established the Chancellor’s Task Force on CUNY Colleges Annual Fund Strategies (AFTF) in October 2009. Building on the success of the Chancellor’s Task Forces on CUNY College Foundations (2007) and Alumni Relations and Associations (2008), the AFTF will provide the colleges with the tools to engage their campus communities philanthropically through their annual funds.

The AFTF is chaired by Barry Feirstein, Chairman of the Brooklyn College Foundation, and is comprised of college presidents, advancement executives and staff, foundation board members, university officials and members of the Campaign Office. One of its primary goals is to create and deliver a best practices manual in the Spring of 2010 to allow the colleges to implement its recommendations in their FY 2010-2011 annual fund plans.

Fund-Raising Academy’s New Program Starts Feb. 23
The Fund-Raising Academy completes its third year this month with a new program for professionals raising private funds for CUNY programs, centers and institutes.

Fund-Raising Highlights for Program Professionals will take place on February 23, 25 and March 2. It is designed for professionals raising private support outside of the advancement offices. It will address how to work successfully with the college advancement office, develop major gift strategies and prepare proposals, engage and cultivate prospects, recruit volunteers and board members, and make the ask.